Rising water= Great fishing

[fiskyknut]

Well folks the river was on the rise the past week and the fishing just got better and better around the 175 bridge area. Memorial weekend saw stable low water, and great fishing. River was on a slow rise thru last week and the bite just got better as the water rose, as is usually the case here on the Red. I was a bit concerned on Saturday as it was WAY up and rolling fast and dirty. A locational change to newly flooded very shallow stump flat found fast action for fish of all sizes, including the hard to find smaller Catfish, acually caught 2 fish under 24 inches! Frogs drifted under bobbers thru the stumps were the hot presentation on Saturday. Frogs fished on Mussel bars were the ticket Thursday as conditions were about perfect to fish these newly flooded areas.

Seems the bigger the frog the better too! Still getting a fish or 3 on cutbaits as well as Creek Chubs, but the BIG frogs are really doing a number on them as of late {past 3 weeks}.

I've ran a few trips out to the Red with some Red river newbies and they are now confirmed Catters itching to get back up again next year!

I'll try and get some pics up soon.

Regards....fiskyknut

[Matt Johnson]

Fisky's pics...

Nice fish guys!!!

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[fiskyknut]

Was out to the Red again on Saturday with a couple of folks from Texas. Windy day and the water was falling fast. Mud was the consistency of warm butter. 5 rods got 31 fish in 5 hours of fishing. Majority went 24-30 inches or so, plenty of small ones too, got a nice stringer full of little ones for the fryer finally. Couple of fish around 32-33, 1 nice 35 incher and an enormous girthy 38.5 caught by the lady from Texas! All fish were caught on big frogs, even the little guys.

September winding down, not sure how long this crazy bite will hold out with the fall season coming fast. Week or 2 maybe???

I'll try and get a pic of Saturdays whopper posted on here soon.

Regards all....fiskyknut

[Matt Johnson]

fiskyknut and company with some more cats...

Nice fish!

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[walleyejon]

For anyone who is wondering, that good-looking guy in the blue shirt is me. What a great time at the Red, as we finally had summer temps in the early fall. A big thanks to Fisky for catching all the frogs. I'm going to try to make it back over to Hallock or Drayton this weekend. Anyone going to be around there?

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Fish on gotta go--JON

[This message has been edited by walleyejon (edited 10-07-2004).]

[fiskyknut]

Hey now Jon you can't be giving out all my super top secret shorefishing hotspots!!!

Got back out to that spot you and I fished again and had good success. The Walleyes are in there pretty good now, managed 3 nice ones and lost a really nice one while trying to grab it. Catfish are still ravenous, if I could find a way to keep them away from the baits I'd catch more walleyes! Both the Cats and the Walleye were eating the frogs and the few Redtails I brought with abandon. Gonna head out that way again tomorrow afternoon. Creek level fell nicely so I'm gonna get some traps set tonite and hopefully tomorrow morning I'll have a few hundred Redtail and creek chubs. Still have a couple dozen frogs kicking, as for catching any more of those?... Nope they've all gone to sleep for the winter!

Regards....Fisky

[Wiskers]

You heading out Tuesday? I might head over to the Red Tues also.. You must be on the north end? Perhaps we can hook up. I fished the RLR all day today and missed 3 fish.. sigh and that was it... No frogs, all I had was frozen skippys, crawlers and chubs... Guess they were not on the menu....

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Wiskers Guiding Service
River Pro

Red River, Red Lake River ,for Channel Cats & Walleyes
Crookston, MN
[email protected]

218-280-0442

[fiskyknut]

Yepper, myself and the mrs. will be fishing Mussel beds somewhere on the Red tonite. Peel out of Roseau at 3 and fish till dark 30! You are correct I fish from the Drayton area and northward, probably be around Jolliette area tonite??? Not sure though. Managed to trap a bunch of nice plump Redtails and Creek Chubs overnite so hopefully I can keep those Catfish off the baits long enough to get 1 or 2 of those big funny colored Walleyes that swim in there.

What the heck is a skippy anyways?

Regards....fiskyknut

[Wiskers]

Fisky..

Skippy is a mooneye or skipjack.. sorry.. lol..

sorry I did not make it, I got called into work.. sigh sigh..

I am heading up to Drayton Wed. after noon into the evening.. gonna give it a go..

Wish I could find some of them river chubs or frogs or redtails.. pout.

------------------
Wiskers Guiding Service
River Pro

Red River, Red Lake River ,for Channel Cats & Walleyes
Crookston, MN
[email protected]

218-280-0442

[fiskyknut]

Well good luck at Drayton Rusty, some darn good spots around there for sure.

Did'nt get on the river till 5:30 yesterday due to a late start out of Roseau. Darned little front rolled thru as I got west of Greenbush but the rain had ended by the time I hit Hallock. Had to go to plan B as I did'nt dare take my wifes little car thru a min. maint. road to get to the spot I wanted to hit. Fished nearby to the 175 bridge instead. Front maybe thru the walleyes off, only a couple of small ones. A few little cigar Saugers as well. Catfish are still biting like mad though, caught quite a few of them bad boys, even got one on a crankbait. Biggest was a very girthy one near 38 inches 1/2 hour before dark. This was the high point of the evening. The low point was losing my trusty, and very hard to find pearl colored J13 Rapala.....Bummer last one I had too!

I did see a frog or 2 hopping around the banks last nite, last week I did'nt see any and assumed they had gone bye-bye for the winter. Spend a bit of time and you could probably catch a few maybe.

Regards....fiskyknut

[Ed Carlson]

Fiskyknut them Rapala SW-J-13's are killers on big Red River walleye and pike. I also do well with the Rainbow Trout pattern, so if you can't locate any white I recommend you try on of them. The Blue/White has been a big fish producer for me too, as is the Gold/Black and in muddy water the Clown and Black/White. The Blue/White and the Trout do great at night, my go-2 baits. The Gold/Black gets better and better as the water clears and on the day bite in particular.

Frogs are getting real sleepy yet they still are testing the banks. I have seen them crawl across the new snow to get to the river in late fall. Try tipping over logs and rocks near the river. You should find frogs lurking there yet? I picked a dozen out of a leaf pile near the bank just yesterday, and fed them to the eyes. The mouth of field drains dumping into the Red have been hot frog flinging areas the past week for me.

Yup..Kirmit ain't safe from me just yet.

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Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
701-893-9107

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[fiskyknut]

Yepper Eddy I do love my J13's. I just dropped off 8 of the Chartruese and whites with a lady who is gonna airbrush them up in a nice pearlescent for me so I'll be good to go very soon. Curious as to why you may favor the SW models, I did'nt even know there was a saltwater version of these.

Regards....fiskyknut

[Ed Carlson]

The SW-J-13 models have a "V" dive lip. I feel they work better near snags and I loose less to timber or rip-rap. I think the lips are a bit tougher, I bust fewer off anyway.

They troll about right and bottom out at 8' in a average flow. I also like the wobble of the V lips on the SW series for cold water casting. They generally have the SW nickle treble hooks so I swap them out for thiner wire wide gaps or Triple Grips.

[fiskyknut]

The lip on the regular version of the J13 is v shaped, bent, and sticks outta the nose vs. back under the 'chin' like the J11's and smaller have. Sounds kinda the same? The lip design and location changes when you move up from the size 11 in the J series. So where are these salt versions to be found, and do they come in those cool SW colors as do the SW series of Husky Jerks? I'll be heading down south to Fargo during the Christmas season to visit my brother and will also be doing some Christmas shopping.....For myself!!!

Think ice....fiskyknut

[Ed Carlson]

They may very well be the same models then. The SW designation may just mean the saltwater hooks or I may have just thought it had a SW designation because of the hooks? I have bought them with the crappy SW hooks and with the plain bronze hooks. Whatever the case they are great baits to have handy.

Fleet Farm had the J-13’s in several colors so you can check them out there. Most that I buy are standard Rap colors like copper/black, classic silver/black, blue/white, Clown, Yellow/White (Maybe?), and the Rainbow Trout. I have found them in the Blue Mackerel pattern before but that was a long while back.